The general manager of the Hillsong Church has told a court he believed it was "entirely appropriate" for self-confessed paedophile Frank Houston to have received a financial retirement package when he was removed from the church's ministry.
George Aghajanian gave his opinion on day four of a special fixtures hearing at the Downing Centre Local Court, where Hillsong founder Brian Houston is defending a charge of concealing his father's sexual abuse.
Mr Houston's lawyers argue it was reasonable not to report the allegations to police because the victim did not want authorities to know.
Historical sex offences committed by Frank Houston against Brett Sengstock, who was seven years old at the time, came to the attention of senior church leaders with the Assemblies of God in late 1999.
It was Mr Aghajanian who first told Brian Houston, then working as a senior pastor of the Sydney Christian Life Centre.
At a meeting in November 1999, Frank Houston's credentials were withdrawn, but he stayed on as an employee of the church for another year.
Today Mr Aghajanian told the court that at a meeting in November 2000, the national executive of the Australian Assemblies of God removed Frank Houston from the payroll but agreed to pay him and his wife (who was also a pastor) a financial retirement package.
"Your opinion is, it was entirely appropriate?" Magistrate Gareth Christofi asked Mr Aghajanian.
"Yes," he responded.
"Both for Hazel and Frank?"
"Yes."
He was asked whether he thought Frank Houston should perhaps not have received the payment.
"I hadn't thought of it to be honest, until now," he replied.
When asked why he had not reported the abuse against Mr Sengstock to the Department of Community Services (DOCS, now the Department of Communities and Justice), Mr Aghajanian said he did not believe the action was warranted.
"The matter related to an incident that pre-dated our church … and the victim was an adult," he said.
"I received an allegation. I reported it to my boss, who was Brian, and he reported it to the [Assemblies of God]."
"I felt at the time we had dealt with the matter appropriately and it was in other people's hands to determine what was to happen to Frank."
He denied that he had been motivated by a desire to protect the reputation of Frank Houston or the church.
Mr Aghajanian said he had not been aware of any requirement to report disciplinary actions taken against church staff members to the Office of the Children's Guardian.
